Treasurer Wayne Swan says Liberal backbencher Wilson Tuckey is being "grossly insensitive" for appearing to link the Government's proposed resources super profits tax to the disappearance of a plane carrying six Australian mining executives in West Africa.

The Australians, including billionaire magnate Ken Talbot, were among 11 people on board a plane chartered by Perth firm Sundance Resources which went missing over Cameroon on Saturday. Brisbane-based French citizen Natasha Flason is also among the missing.

An aerial search of the plane's route overnight failed to turn up any sign of the missing plane.

This morning Western Australian MP Wilson Tuckey insisted he was not trying to link the plane's disappearance with the tax.

But he said the fact the miners were in Africa was a "tragic example" of how Australian mining companies have been forced to look for other projects overseas because of the tax.

"I don't want [the tax] to be portrayed as the cause of the tragedy, because that would be dreadful," he said.

"What I'm trying to say is we have a tragic example of where the mining industry is now focusing its attention, no more, no less."

The twin-engined aircraft disappeared about halfway into its hour-long flight between Cameroon's capital Yaounde and the town of Yangadou in neighbouring Congo.

Cameroon sent a Hercules C-130 and two smaller aircraft to scour the route taken by the plane, and Cameroonian president Paul Biya has set up a crisis panel to coordinate the search.

The search for the plane will resume at daybreak local time.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Government will leave "no stone unturned" in the search for them.

Industry shocked and saddened

The six missing mining executives are Talbot, Sundance Resources chairman Geoff Wedlock, managing director and CEO Don Lewis, company secretary John Carr-Gregg and non-executive directors John Jones and Craig Oliver.

Sundance shares have been placed in a trading halt pending the outcome of the search.

Mr Carr-Gregg's family said it was clinging to hope the men would be found alive, but his wife, Susan, said it was frustrating waiting for news.

"The latest that we've been told is that there are search planes looking for the plane... because we're hoping to hear that all the members on the plane are alive," she said.

The resources industry has also expressed its shock at the disappearance of the mining executives.

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest said his heart went out to the families of the six missing Australians.

An emotional Mr Forrest said the men were pursuing a dream of starting a mine in West Africa and he hoped they were safe.

"I haven't given up hope, but as every hour goes past the situation becomes sadder and sadder for those loved ones," he said

Queensland mining magnate Clive Palmer said the situation was disturbing.

"It highlights some of the dangers that mining executives go through every day carrying out their duties," he said.

"All of these men are very brave men who worked hard for their companies and their families.

"They're just doing their day-to-day job and it's very sad to see them exposed to such dangers and our thoughts have got to be with their families and their loved ones at a time like this."

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